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Minnesota Vikings to keep practicing in Mankato for 3 years

By Adam Carlson

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The deal between the Minnesota Vikings and Minnesota State University, Mankato was set to expire soon, but both sides came together to make sure that didn’t happen.  In a recent announcement on the Vikings.com website, the team announced a 3-year extension to keep training camp in Mankato, Minnesota.

Jul 27, 2015; Mankato, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings guard Joe Berger (61) and guard David Yankey (66) and tackle Carter Bykowski (60) run drills at training camp at Minnesota State University. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

News of the deal has to have many Minnesota Vikings fans happy, as a pilgrimage to Mankato has become a tradition.  I have several personal friends who make sure to take the trip each year in order to get an intimate look at the Vikings, collect autographs, and get photos with players.

Here is the announcement that Vikings owner/president Mark Wilf made:

"“Announcing this extension with Minnesota State University, Mankato, is a perfect way to celebrate our 50 years together. Vikings training camp is a great tradition for the team and our fans, and we look forward to this continued partnership with both the university and the City of Mankato.”"

Meanwhile, the president of Minnesota State University, Mankato, Dr. Richard Davenport, also shared his opinion on the deal:

"“We’re very happy to announce a three-year extension to host the Minnesota Vikings training camp. It’s been wonderful to celebrate 50 years of Vikings training camp on our campus this summer, and we look forward to the Vikings being here during the University’s 150th year anniversary celebration.”"

Sometimes, just announcing that things will remain the same is a major step in the right direction.  Personally, I can’t imagine the Minnesota Vikings using a different field as a practice facility.  Maybe that is because I’m a bit set in my ways and stubborn, but this announcement combined with the 5-year extension from iHeart Media will help keep things more predictable for fans.

Predictable can be boring, but it can be stabilizing as well.  And I’m looking forward to things not changing for the next three years.

Next: Minnesota Vikings 2015 Game By Game Previews

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